5 Food Myths Parents Tell Their Kids

Parents are always only just trying their best to look out for their children. They want them to grow healthy and strong. So, they try with all their might to make them eat healthier, sometimes leading them to resort to telling food myths such as these -- all with good intentions, of course!

1. “Finish your carrots. They’ll help you see better.”

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Eating loads of carrots will not improve your eyesight. Yes, they help promote good eye health because they’re loaded with carotenoid which the body converts to vitamin A, but they will not restore your vision back to 20/20.

Also, as additional information, according to Prof. Algis Vingrys, if you already have a balanced diet and are getting enough vitamin A, eating carrots won’t do you much good. That’s because the body only produces vitamin A whenever it senses that there’s a lack of it -- meaning, no matter how much carrots you eat, if your body already has enough vitamin A it won’t matter.

2. “Drink your milk. It’ll make you grow taller.”

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Technically speaking, milk won’t make you grow taller. A person will only grow as tall as she’s genetically designed to. It will, however, help you reach your full growth potential, because milk is rich in vitamin D, and vitamin D deficiency can stunt children’s growth, said dietician Erin Coleman. It’s better to say milk “helps” children grow taller, rather than the alternative, which sounds like it’s forcing them to.

3. “An apple a day will keep the doctor away.”Eating a balanced diet and living a healthy lifestyle help keep unwanted doctor’s appointments away, not apples specifically.

4. “Don’t eat so much candy. They’ll melt your teeth.”This statement is only partially true. Candy can’t “melt” teeth on contact. The bacteria that thrive on the sugars left behind by the candy will. Bacteria produces acids that attack the teeth, which will then cause tooth decay and “melt” teeth away.

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Research has shown, however, that certain types of candy do in fact melt teeth on contact – and that's extra sour candy. “These sour candies, when tested, have a really low pH, nearing battery acid,” said Dr. Robyn Loewen. “I liken it to an ice cube that’s been left on the counter. It melts the tooth.”